Charity
by WritingIsMyDream
Summary: Joan's next mission is to befriend a new girl who is anything but friendly. Read & review
1. Chapter 1

Joan Girardi woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. She picked it up and tossed it across the room. "Go away!" she said. It was Tuesday, the day after the luxurious three-day weekend. She pulled the cover up around her head and burrowed down deeper under the blankets.

Her cell phone rang and she reached over and picked it up. "Hello?" she asked.

Her voice echoed. She sat up and looked around. "Good morning, Joan," a voice said on the other line and…coming from the radio of her alarm clock.

"God!"

"Yes?"

"Am I really on the radio?"

"Maybe."

"What do you want this morning?"

"Just to tell you that I saw you do that. And that hurt!"

"Well, excuse me!"

"Get up and get to school."

"Why?"

"You're needed."

She hung up the phone.

"Joan!" the radio said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Are you talking to your radio?" Joan looked up and saw her brother, Luke standing at the door.

"Yeah. Problem with that?"

He shook his head. "You're…a freak."

"Go look in the mirror sometime."

She pushed her brother out of her room and closed the door. She picked up her clock radio. "What did you want to tell me?"

There was a pause. "To stop talking to the radio," he said. He laughed and Joan pitched the clock down. "Ow!"

Joan shook her head and stood up and got dressed.


	2. Chapter 2

Joan bounded down the steps tying her hair back into a ponytail. "We're going to be late," Luke said.

Will Girardi tossed Joan the keys. "You have your license," he said. "I trust you to get you and your brother to school on time and to get home."

"Great," Joan said. "But I'm going to take a detour."

"Where?" Helen Girardi asked.

"I'm going to the woods and set Luke free and hope he doesn't find his way home."  
Joan's oldest brother, Kevin laughed, wheeling himself into the kitchen. "And if you don't come home?" he asked.

"Luke ate me," Joan said.

Luke looked at his parents. "Have another kid to back _me _up," he replied.

Helen looked at Luke and smiled at him. "Joan, Kevin, leave your brother alone," she said.

"Thank you," Luke said.

"Leave yourself a trail so you can find your way back to the house," she said.

"Mom!"

"Just in case she does take you out and leave you."

"Dad," Luke replied turning to his father. He crossed his arms. "Are you going to gang up on me, too?"

"No," Will said. "You're a genius. You'll figure out someway to get home."

Luke threw his hands up and turned and opened the door and walked out to the car. Joan realized that she was laughing so hard that she was crying. She wiped the tears away and walked out and climbed into the car. Luke turned away from her.

"We were just joking," she said.

"Sometimes you guys take it too far," he replied.

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling guilty. She jammed the key into the ignition and drove to the high school.


	3. Chapter 3

Joan parked the car and Luke climbed out first and took off to the school. Joan went to open her door when a police officer stepped up to the car. Her heart beat faster in her chest. She opened the door and climbed out. "I don't know what I did but I'm sorry," she replied.

"Nice of you to react that way, Joan," He said.

"It's you isn't it?"

"Yep," He replied. "I'm going to have to write you a ticket for paranoia."

Joan rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to do today?" she asked.

The officer looked up and pointed to a girl sitting by herself. Her legs crossed, she was dressed in black and had chains hanging off of her belt loops of her skirt. She wore a bulky black leather jacket and had her red streaked brown hair pulled back into a ponytail that was frizzed out in the back. She wore black makeup and the sun hit her nose stud. She was reading a book and had headphones on.

"What about her?" she asked. She was new her name was something like Charity. She isolated herself from everyone else and kept to herself.

"Befriend her," He replied.

"What?"

She looked at Charity. It would've been impossible to even get near her without turning on a stare that could kill.

"She needs a friend, Joan," God said.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Why not you?"

"Don't start with that," she said.

"Well, why not?"

She shrugged. "I-I don't know," she replied. "She's really freaky."

"She's also really lonely and really depressed," He said. "You're probably the only one who could talk to her."

"Me?" Joan asked. She looked at Charity and then back at God. "Can't you just ask me to…I don't know. Try out for the choir?"

God shook his head. "This is more important," He said. "Without a friend she might go too far."

"Too far? What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "I have to go," he replied. "Have a good day at school and good luck."

He climbed in the police car and drove off, leaving Joan standing there next to her family car. She turned and looked at Charity. She took a deep breath. God never let her down before. She walked toward the schoolyard and over to Charity.


	4. Chapter 4

Joan stepped closer to Charity she could hear Linkin Park blasting from her headphones. Sensing someone was standing over her, Charity looked up and glared at Joan.

_Just ignore it_, Joan thought. She glared back at Charity. Frustrated, Charity pulled her headphones down around her neck. "What?" she asked. "Come to stare at the freak?"

She jumped up and Joan stepped to stop her from going around her. "I'm Joan Girardi," she said.

"Well, Joan Girardi, move before I slam you into the ground," Charity said. She wasn't smiling she staring, cutting through Joan. Joan felt like a dozen knives were being pushed into her body. She stepped to the side and Charity walked past her as the bell rang.

She looked up at the school. "I woke up for this?" she asked herself. She ran up the steps and into the school.


	5. Chapter 5

Joan walked into her English class. There was an empty seat next to Charity. She walked over and sat down next to her.

Charity looked up. "What is your obsession with me?" she asked.

"This seat is close to the window," Joan said.

Charity stared at her and then turned back to her book.

"Whatcha reading?" Joan asked.

Charity held the book up and read the title The Time Capsule by Lurlene McDaniel (AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the book I'm reading now…hehe).

Joan nodded. "Cool," she said.

"It's a little depressing," Charity replied.

Joan made a mental note. _Charity likes depressing books_. Joan realized that Charity had stripped out of her black leather jacket and she was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt underneath a t-shirt that had Good Charlotte on the front.

_She likes Linkin Park and Good Charlotte_, Joan thought making another mental note. She thought that if she read what Charity reads and listen to the same music she does they might have something to talk about.

The teacher walked in and started class.


	6. Chapter 6

Joan didn't see Charity until later on in the cafeteria sitting across the room with her nose in her book munching on a sandwich. She sighed. God had told her to do this and she wasn't going to let Him down.

She walked pass the table where she usually sat with Grace Polk and Adam Rove. Grace was picking something out of her teeth and glaring at the cheerleaders who were watching her with disgust and Adam was twisting his aluminum foil. They both watched her walk over to Charity. As a matter of fact…everyone was watching her walk over to Charity.

"Hi," Joan said.

Charity looked up at her. "You again?" she asked. "Joan, right?"

"Right," Joan said. She looked at the empty chair in front of her. "Can I sit here?"

"It's a free country." Charity shrugged. Joan pulled out the chair and was stopped mid-air by Charity adding, "But I'd rather you didn't."

Joan looked at her and nodded. "Oh," she said.

Charity smiled quickly and then dropped her eyes back to her book.

Joan chewed her bottom lip and turned and walked back to the table where Grace and Adam were sitting. She sat down.

"What were you doing talking to Freak Girl?" Grace asked.

Adam looked at her. "I talked to her," he said. "She's pretty cool."

"_You _talked to _her_?" Joan asked.

Adam nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"How?"

Adam sighed. "Well, with something called…my voice."

Grace snorted and Joan smirked. "What did you talk about?" Joan asked.

He shrugged. "Stuff," he said.

"Like what?"

He shrugged again. "Just stuff," he replied.

"What did she say?"

"Not much."

"She's not much of a talker."

Grace shrugged. She looked at the clock on the wall. "I'm going to be late for being late to class," she said. She stood up and left, Joan and Adam together.

"Why are you so interested in a girl like Charity?" Adam asked. "She's pretty normal."

Joan shook her head. "You wouldn't understand," she said.

Adam shrugged. "How would you know?" he asked. The bell rang and he stood up and left. Joan sat in the cafeteria for a moment and then she picked up her books and dashed to class.


	7. Chapter 7

Luke caught up with Joan after their last class. "Hey, I'm walking home," he said.

"Nuh-uh," Joan said. "I'm suppose to drive you home."

He shrugged. "I'm walking home with some girl," he replied. "Mom and Dad would understand."

"What girl?"

"Hey, Luke," a voice said.

Joan looked up to see Charity next to her younger, geeky brother.

"Joan?" Charity asked.

"Hi, Charity," Joan replied.

"Yeah, I'm walking home with Charity Andrews," Luke said.

Joan nodded. "Why?"

"He's going to help me in algebra," Charity replied. "Is that a crime?"

"No, it isn't," Joan said.

"Come on," Luke replied. Joan watched as Luke and Charity left the school.

The halls were now empty and Joan slammed her last book into her book bag and turned and ran smack into the janitor.

"Excuse me," she said.

"No problem," He replied. He slammed the mop down onto the floor. "How's it going with the mission?"

She looked at Him. "Why do you have to give me all of these hard missions?" she asked.

"This isn't hard."

"No, this is difficult. So far the only ones who have gotten through to her are Adam and Luke."

God shrugged and continued to mop the linoleum floor. "Adam and Luke both listen," he said.

"I listen!" she replied.

"Well, then, they don't try as hard as you do."

She looked up at Him. "You're saying that if I chill that we could slowly become friends?" she asked.

God nodded. "Maybe," He replied. "You better get home."

Joan nodded. She stood up and walked out of building leaving God to His mopping.


	8. Chapter 8

Joan drove up to the house and when she walked in Luke and Charity were sitting at the kitchen table, Kevin was watching TV in the living room, and Helen was reading a book.

Helen looked up and saw Joan. "Hi," she replied.

"Hey," Joan said.

"How was school?"

"Fine."

Joan threw her backpack on the steps and cut in between her older brother and the television set. He didn't blink. She stepped back and stood in his way. He put his hand on her arm and pushed her off to the side. Joan shook her head. "You've turned into a zombie," she said.

Joan looked at the TV. A soap opera was on. "A soap zombie," she finished.

"Sh, Laurel's going to find out that the father of her baby isn't her husband, Terry, but instead Terry's identical twin brother, Kurt's," he said.

Joan traded a smile with her mother over her brother's head and turned and walked into the kitchen, trying not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Luke asked.

"Kevin's addicted to soap operas now."

"NO! KIM DON'T GO IN THERE!" Kevin yelled at the television.

Charity smiled and turned back to her algebra book. "Is it always like this?" she asked Luke.

"Weird brother. Weirder sister. Yep," Luke said.

"YOU IDIOT!" Kevin exclaimed yelling at the television again.

Joan, Luke, and Charity burst out laughing. Helen walked in with her hand over her mouth. "I need to find the breaker," she said.

"I heard that," Kevin replied, wheeling himself in. "Commercial break."

He wheeled over to the refrigerator and took out a soda. He looked at Charity. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Charity Andrews," she replied.

"I'm Kevin," he said.

"Soap Boy."

He blushed and smirked. "I better get back to my soap," he said. "It's getting good."

He wheeled past his mother and sister and back in front of the TV. He was back in there a second later. "I should've known," he said. "It's going off."

"Oh, poor Kevin," Helen replied.

Kevin smiled. Charity turned away. She wished that she had a family like the Girardi's instead of the family she had.

Will Girardi walked in at that moment and looked at Charity.

"Will, this is Charity Andrews," Helen said. She was starting supper. "Charity, are you going to stay for supper?"

"I-I don't know," she said. "Do you want me to?"

"Sure, the more the merrier. Just go call your mom."

"Um, we don't have a phone," she replied. Joan studied Charity's face. It was a lie. She could tell.

"Oh."

"But I'm sure she'd let me," she said.

"Ok," Helen replied. "Do you like anything special?"

"I'll eat anything."

Helen nodded and continued with her cooking.


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm going to go clean up," Charity said after she helped Joan set the table.

Joan nodded. "Bathroom's down the hall," she replied.

Charity nodded a thanks. Joan realized that Charity hadn't been rude to her since lunch.

Charity ducked into the bathroom and closed the door not realizing that it hadn't shut completely. She looked up at her reflection in the mirror. She was thankful that the make-up she had caked on that morning covered up the nasty bruise on her face. She rolled up her sleeves and started washing her hands, studying the purple bruise on her left wrist that was in the shape of a handprint and the circular burns on her arm where her mother had burned her with a cigarette from time to time. Then there were the scratches that she did herself. She touched one of them and blinked back tears. After supper she was sure that Mr. Girardi would offer to drive her home. She'd have to go back to that Hell Hole.

She looked back up at the mirror and reached up and opened it. She pushed the Midol and Tylenol out of the way and found a packet of razor blades. She tore one out of the packet and touched it to her left arm and cut herself deep enough to let the blood flow down her skin, across the other cuts, the bruise, and the burns. She inhaled deeply.

"Oh! I'm s-what the hell are you doing?" a voice asked.

She jumped and turned and saw Kevin in the doorway. She dropped the razor into the trashcan and pulled her sleeve down. "I have to go," she said. She took off past him but he grabbed her wrist.

"You're a cutter," he said, in a low whisper.

She looked deep into his eyes and tried to get away from him. "Don't tell anyone," she replied.

"You need help."

"Like hell."

She pulled out of his grasp and took off back into the kitchen.

"Charity!" he exclaimed. Kevin turned himself around in the wheelchair and followed her.

Charity grabbed her book bag. "I'm sorry," she said to Helen. "I can't stay."

"Oh," Helen replied.

"I'll drive you home," Kevin said.

She glared at him. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to get her to talk to him. Tell him why she was doing that. "I'll walk," she replied.

Kevin opened his mouth to say something but Charity was out the door before _anyone _could say anything.


	10. Chapter 10

"What was that about?" Luke asked.

Everyone looked at Kevin. "I walked in on her in the bathroom," he replied.

"Kevin!" Helen exclaimed.

"Let me finish," Kevin replied. "She was cutting her arms."

"Oh my God," Helen said.

Luke shook his head. "Charity seemed perfectly happy earlier," he replied. He ran to the bathroom, knowing his brother was lying! But then he saw the blood on the sink and the bloody razor in the trashcan.

Will, Joan, and Helen followed him. Luke walked over and sat down on the tub. "She's a cutter."

Joan blinked. Now she knew why God wanted her to befriend Charity. "She might go too far," she remembered Him saying. She stepped out of the bathroom and ran out of the house. Charity wasn't anywhere around. "Geez!" she said. She folded her arms across her chest. She turned and walked back into the house.


	11. Chapter 11

"Where've you been?" was the first question out of Nadia Andrews' mouth as Charity walked in. She was down on all fours searching for something under the sofa.

"I was over at a friend's," Charity replied. She had stopped at one point and put pressure on the newest cut until it stopped bleeding and her arm was sticky and the blood had ran down to her palm. She tightened it to shield it from her mother. Not like she'd care anyway.

"Where are my cigarettes?" Nadia asked.

"I don't know," Charity replied.

Nadia looked at her. "You took them," she said, her eyes accusing.

Charity looked at her. She shook her head. "I did not!" she said.

Nadia stood up and grabbed Charity's wrist, almost cutting off the circulation. "You took them. WHERE ARE THEY?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't have them." Tears sprang into her brown eyes but she blinked them back. If her mother was going to hit her again crying would only make everything worse.

Nadia slapped Charity across the face. "I know you have them!" she yelled. "Where are they?" She started searching Charity's pockets.

Charity pulled her mother's hand out of her back pocket. "I don't have your damn cigarettes!" she said. She looked at the table an empty carton of empty cigarette packets were on the table. "You smoked them all."

Nadia shook her head. "You have them."

Charity also realized that there was also an empty bottle of vodka on its side and a plastic bag on the table. Charity knew that Nadia's dealer had been there.

"I don't have them, Mom," she said.

Nadia pushed Charity down onto the floor and she fell on a shoe, which was unusual since Nadia never got out of the house to need them and the only shoes she had owned were on her feet at that moment. Nadia kicked Charity in the side. "Get up!" she yelled. "Get up and give me my cigarettes!"

"I don't have them!" she repeated for the millionth time. Charity guessed that she might as well have it tattooed on her forehead because she had been saying that same thing over and over since Nadia started accusing her when she was nine. Her father had left them and went back to his ex-wife, Nadia and Branson Andrews weren't married so he didn't feel tied down to them. But Charity wished that he had taken her with him. But Nadia hadn't always been like this.

Nadia picked Charity up and slammed her into the wall of their trailer. "Go buy some more!" she said.

"I'm only fifteen," Charity replied. "I can't."

Nadia slapped Charity across the face. "I don't care," she said. "You know, Charity, I wouldn't have to do this to you if you hadn't taken my cigarettes."

"But I didn't take them," Charity yelled.

Nadia punched her. "Don't take that tone of voice with me young lady," she replied.

Charity shook her head and pushed past her mother and ran to her bedroom, triple locking the door. Nadia pounded hard on the door. Charity's messenger bag was hanging on her shoulder. She pulled it off and crawled over to her stereo, the only thing she treasured most after the acoustic guitar she had gotten one Christmas when she was eight, before her dad left. She pulled her CD player out of her backpack and touched the button that opened it. She put the Linkin Park CD in it and turned it over to her favorite song, Numb and used them as protection. She always used music to protect her from everything, from her mother to the outside world around the trailer park.

Charity doubled over and started crying.


	12. Chapter 12

Joan tossed and turned all night and was really cranky when her alarm clock went off signaling for her to get out of bed.

She pulled the covers off and threw her legs over the side of the bed and rolled off.

She changed and walked downstairs. Luke was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hi," Joan replied.

Luke didn't say anything and that was good because after Charity had left and you said anything to him, he'd bite your head off.

"You're up early," she replied. Unusually, she walked over and pulled out a cereal bowl and opened a box of cereal.

"Couldn't sleep," he muttered.

"What?" she asked.

"I said I couldn't sleep," he snapped. "Get your hearing checked."

Joan's jaw locked. She wished that they had some duct tape lying around. "Sorry," she said.

He shook his head. "No I am," he replied. "I thought Charity and I were becoming friends. Why didn't she tell me?"

"There are some things people don't tell you after you've known them for one day."

"Two," he replied. "I met her after lunch the other day."

"Two then."

She poured some milk into the cereal and walked over and sat down with her brother.

Luke looked at her. "You don't usually eat breakfast," he said.

Joan shrugged. "I can change my morning routine can't I?"

He shook his head. "It's just not right," he replied. "It's weird."

Joan nodded. "I agree," she said. "And I think the cereal's stale." She swallowed it and pushed the bowl away from her.

Luke laughed at Joan's disgusted face. "Quit," she said. "It's not funny."

"You're right. It's hilarious!"

She hit him. "Ow," he said, still laughing.

Joan couldn't help it and she joined him.


	13. Chapter 13

Charity dressed and walked out of her room. Nadia was passed out on the sofa. She walked out of the trailer clinging tightly to her messenger bag and crept out.

She walked out of the trailer park and to Arcadia High.

"Charity!"

She looked up and saw Luke running toward her. She turned away from him and walked away quickly but he touched her arm. "Hey," he replied.

"Oh, hi," she said. She turned her head. She had ran out of the trailer before she could cover up her new bruise.

"Kevin told us about what he saw you doing," he replied. He couldn't come out and say that Kevin saw her cutting herself. Personally, he didn't want to believe his brother but he had seen the blade and the blood with his own eyes.

"Yeah?" Charity asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

She turned and looked at him. "So?" Her face was completely exposed to him.

He stared at the bruise and he reached out. "Who did that?"

She spun around. "No one," she replied. She took off toward the school at a run. Luke slumped back where he was standing. He decided to go to the office and say he was sick and his mom would take him home. It wouldn't entirely be a lie, he felt like he was going to puke right there in front of almost the entire school.


	14. Chapter 14

Joan was watching them from the car.

"Joan," a voice said. She looked over at God in His cute boy phase.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"Tell you what?" He asked. "That she was a cutter?"

Joan nodded. "Is that why you want me to be friends with her?"

God stared at her. "Maybe."

"I'm sick and tired of hearing you say 'maybe'. Is it or isn't it?"

God looked at her. "It is," he replied.

She looked at Him back. "See, that wasn't so hard?" she said, jokingly.

He smirked. "You're just watch she needs."

"Me?"

He nodded.

"How?"

"You'll see."

The bell rang and she turned to look at Him but He was walking away from her.

Joan blinked a couple of times and then turned and walked into Arcadia High.


	15. Chapter 15

Joan was sitting at the lunch table by herself, when Adam walked over and sat down in front of her. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," she replied.

He looked at her. "What's up?"

She shook her head. "What do you know about Charity?" she asked.

"You mean…her home life?"

Joan looked up at him. "She told you about her cutting?" she asked.

He nodded. "Only because I accidentally hit one of her burns," he said.

"Burns?"

Adam looked up at her. "Oh, you didn't know about that?"

Joan shook her head.

Adam looked over at Charity who was sitting by herself, reading as usual. He turned back to Joan. "Her mom's a drunk and a druggie," he replied. "And she hits Charity."

"Is that why she cuts herself?" Joan asked.

Adam nodded. He unwrapped his sandwich and started to eat it. "I think so, anyway," he replied.

"You didn't tell anyone about what you saw?" she asked.

He dropped his eyes. "I told someone," he replied.

"Who?"

He looked up at her. "Your mom," he whispered.

"When?"

"As soon as she got to school."

"Luke had her over last night and Kevin saw her in the bathroom cutting herself."

"So she knew before I told her?"

Joan nodded. Adam looked over at Charity and sighed. "I hope someone helps her," he replied.

Joan nodded. "I'll help her," she said.

"How?"

Joan shrugged. "You know me, I'll find a way." 


	16. Chapter 16

Charity saw Luke at his locker between classes. She walked over to him. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For acting the way I did this morning. It's obvious that you are concerned about me," she replied.

He looked at her. "Were you going to tell me?" he asked.

Charity nodded. "Eventually," she said. "I was afraid that you might think I'm some sort of suicidal maniac," she said.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't think that," he replied.

Charity smiled. "I know that now," she said.

Luke stared at her. "So are we…friends, now?" he asked.

She held her hand out. "Friends," she said.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Friends," he said. They shook on it and Joan came walking up.

"Hi, Joan," Charity said, smiling.

"Hey," Joan replied. She looked at Luke. "Do you mind if I steal Charity from you for a minute?"

Luke looked at Charity who nodded. He closed his locker, smiled at Charity and then turned and walked to class.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Charity asked.

"Adam told me that your mom hits you," Joan replied.

Charity's smile faded. "Yeah, she does," she replied. "So?"

"So. You need help."

"No, Joan, I don't need help. It's my mother who needs help," she was practically snapping Joan's head off her shoulders. Joan stepped back. "I'm just her punching bag for her to let out her frustration."

Charity blinked and tears started forming in her eyes. The bell rang and everyone scattered to their class but Joan and Charity.

"Just say it," Joan replied.

Charity slumped up against the lockers and slid down onto the floor. Joan sat down next to her. "Come on," Joan said.

Charity looked at her and tears rolling down her face she choked, "Help me, please, Joan?"

Joan nodded. "I will," she replied.

Charity smiled and reached up and wiped her eyes. Joan helped Charity up and they walked to the office to get tardy slips.


	17. Chapter 17

Charity didn't get to talk to Luke or Joan the rest of the day and she walked home by herself that afternoon.

Nadia was slumped down on the couch. She threw an empty beer bottle across the room. Charity jumped as it shattered.

"Why do you steal from me?" Nadia asked.

"What?" Charity asked, stepping back.

"You smoked the rest of my cigarettes, drank the rest of my beer, _and_ you took $20 out of my purse."

"One, I'm not a smoker, as a matter of fact I've been hoping that you'd give it up. Two, I don't drink because like smoking I'd hoped you give it up, too. And three, _I _am the only one who has money in this family." Charity had taken a job in the last place they lived and she had stashed her money away until she found a new job.

"Don't take that tone with me!" Nadia snapped.

"I'll talk to you however I want! I hate you!"

Nadia looked at her and then jumped up from the couch and slapped her across the face slamming her into a wall. Charity slid down the wall and crawled over to a chair and pulled herself up. Nadia went after her and Charity stood up and back up into the kitchen.

"Get back here!" Nadia said.

Charity shook her head and opened the back door and jumped out and took off running. She felt blood in her mouth, possibly from where her head had collided with the wall. She took off at a run. The closest place she could think of was Adam Rove's house.


	18. Chapter 18

Adam was out back when Charity ran in. He took his welding mask off and looked at her face. "Charity?" he asked.

"Hey," she said.

He walked around his worktable and over to her. "What happened?" he asked.

"My mom," she replied.

He touched her face.

"I don't know where to go," she said.

"I do," he replied.

Adam led her out of there and went to talk to his dad and told him where they were going. Over to Joan's.


	19. Chapter 19

"Joan Girardi's?" Charity asked as she and Adam walked over to her house. Before they had left they had tried to stop the bleeding in her mouth and it finally stopped.

"That's the only safe place I could think of," he replied. "Her dad's the chief of police."

"What?"

He nodded. "Will Girardi," he said.

She rubbed her face. "Of course, it'll be safe," she replied.

Adam nodded. "I know," he said. He reached over and grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle, friendly squeeze and she smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

Luke was the one who answered the door. Joan was lying on the couch watching TV with Kevin eating popcorn.

"Charity?" Luke asked. "Adam?"

Adam and Charity walked in.

Charity told them that she went over to Adam's right after her mom's blow up. Joan sat up and Adam sat down next to her and Charity sat next to him and Luke sat on the arm of the couch.

Kevin switched off the TV. "Are you going to get help for the cuts?" he asked.

Charity rolled her sleeve up and showed him the cuts, burns and bruises. "I said that I would stop once the rest stops," she said.

Kevin reached out and touched it. The door opened and Will walked in.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Charity told him the whole story. "Don't make me go back," she said.

He shook his head. "I won't," he replied. Anger flashed in his eyes. "However, you might need to get some things."

She looked at him. "You're taking me away from her?" she asked, sort of excited and sort of upset.

Will took her out of the room and into the kitchen for privacy. "It's for your own good," he replied.

She nodded. "You're going to call somebody and put me in a foster home, aren't you?" she asked.

"You could stay here," Helen said, from the door. "Finish out the school year? No since changing schools in the middle of the term."

Charity looked from her to Will, who nodded.

Charity smiled.

"I'll drive you to your house and you can get some things that you'll need," he replied.

Charity nodded. She suddenly felt safe, especially with the chief of police.


	21. Chapter 21

Charity looked up and saw a car in front of the trailer. "That's my mother's drug dealer," she said. "I'd recognize the car anywhere."

"You're mother does drugs?" Will asked.

"And drinks," she said. "In addition to beating the hell out of me." She looked at him. "Excuse me."

He shrugged. "Let's go in," he replied.

Charity opened the door and with Will behind her they walked into the trailer. "Where the hell have you been?" Nadia asked.

Charity pushed past her and Nadia grabbed her arm. "Mom, I want you to meet my friends' dad, Will Girardi, chief of police," she said.

Nadia looked at her and the dealer jumped up out of his seat on the sofa. Nadia dropped Charity's arm and she ran back to her room. She grabbed her knapsack and started throwing her clothes inside. Next she tossed in her CDs and her notebooks full of music. She picked up her guitar last and put it on her back. She could afford to give up her stereo, she had her CD player in her message bag.

She walked back into the living room and Will had called in some other officers and they were arresting Nadia and her dealer. Will reached out and put his hand on Charity's arm. "Let's get home," he replied.

Charity nodded and then headed out to the car, passing her mother in a police vehicle and stared back. She smiled. "You can't hurt me anymore," she whispered. She walked to the car and put her things in the back and climbed in.


	22. Chapter 22

"Thanks for bringing Charity," Joan said.

Adam shrugged. "It was nothing," he replied. "I knew she'd be safe."

"She asked me for help. I didn't know what to do."

"But you're Jane, you found someway to do it. Plus, I knew she'd be safe here."

Joan nodded and opened the door letting Adam out. "See you," he replied.

"See you," she said.

At that time a Girl Scout was walking up the steps. Adam smiled at her and walked away.

Joan saw the girl with some cookies. "No thanks," she said to her.

"It's for a good cause, Joan," the little girl (or God) said.

She looked at the girl. "You should wear a bell," she replied.

God smiled. "The Adam Rove connection worked again."

"How?" Joan asked, she walked outside and leaned up against the house.

"Charity went to Adam's house. And Adam knew your dad was the chief of police and knew it would be safe. And now, Charity's mother has been arrested and Charity is coming to live with your family temporarily."

"She's coming to live with us?"

God nodded. "You helped her a lot today by making her confess that she needed help."

"I didn't make her."

God stared at her. "Joan, you drove her crazy. You made her."

Joan rolled her eyes. "Whatever You say."

God smiled. "See you later, Joan," He replied.

Joan nodded and watched the girl run down the steps and down toward the sidewalk. 


	23. Chapter 23

They had put a rollaway bed in Joan's room and Charity had changed into a pair of black sweats and a black t-shirt revealing the cuts and bruises and the burns. Helen walked in. "Good night girls," she said.

"Night," Will replied, behind her.

"Night Mom, Dad," Joan said.

"Night Mr. and Mrs. Girardi," Charity replied.

Helen and Will smiled. "Call us by our first names," Helen said.

Charity nodded and watched them leave. Joan turned out the light.

"Joan," Charity said.

"Yeah?" Joan asked laying down on her pillow.

"You're really lucky to have a family this great."

Joan smiled. "Yeah," she said.

"Good night," Charity said.

"Night."

Charity closed her eyes and fell asleep. Joan rolled over and faced her alarm clock, the red lights flashed GOOD NIGHT. She blinked and the clock showed the time again. She rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. "Good night, God," she whispered.

"Hmm?" Charity asked.

"Never mind."

She rolled over and smiled to herself and then closed her eyes.


End file.
